Protection against heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, memory loss, colon cancer, fractures, and depression should be enough to get men exercising. But those who need extra motivation should consider the added benefits to their prostates and sexuality, reports the May 2007 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.

A 2006 study from Sweden reported that regular exercise is associated with a reduced risk of moderate and severe symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). After taking other risk factors into account, the most active men were 28% less likely to have substantial lower urinary tract symptoms than the least active men. The Harvard Men’s Health Watch notes that the effect of exercise on prostate cancer is less clear. Some studies suggest that exercise can reduce risk, while others do not.

Although erectile dysfunction is not life-threatening, it can surely impair quality of life. A Harvard study linked regular exercise to a 41% reduction in the risk of erectile dysfunction all it took was about 30 minutes of walking a day. And in 2004, a randomized clinical trial reported that moderate exercise (averaging less than 28 minutes a day) can help restore sexual performance in obese, middle-aged men with erectile dysfunction.

Harvard Men’s Health Watch
Harvard Health Publications Harvard Medical School 10 Shattuck St., Ste. 612
Cambridge, MA 02115
United States
http://www.health.harvard.edu

Top Vitamins For Body Builders
by keishon martin

The water-soluble vitamins (with the exception of vitamin C) are composed entirely of the B and B-complex vitamins,
including Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pyridoxine (B6), Folate, Cobalamin (B12), Biotin and Pantothenic Acid.
Because these vitamins are water soluble and thus have difficulty entering fatty tissues, they aren’t stored in the body and
excessive amounts are excreted. And while this means toxicity is generally not a problem, these vitamins must be continually
included in a bodybuilder’s diet.

Vitamins Are…..CLICK HERE for the complete article.

1) True of False: You should be consuming 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

False. The Recommended Daily Intake of fruits and vegetables is 5-10 servings.

(Follow up question: How many servings do you eat daily?)

2) True or False: Due to the use of industrial strength pesticides and over-farming the nutrient content of fruits and vegetables sold today is decreasing at an alarming rate?

True. This means even if you were to eat 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day you may still not be getting enough vitamins and minerals in your diet.

3) True or False: Stress, dieting, injury and illness create a greater demand by the body for vitamins and minerals?

True. Lack of proper nutrition places even greater stress on the body which can lead to serious health problems.

4) True or False: Every year there are 14 million cases of preventable heart disease, 1.2 million preventable causes of cancer, more than half a million preventable strokes and 2500 babies are born every year with neural tube defect that could have been prevented by one simple vitamin?

True. Needless to say, nutrition plays a major role in determining our susceptibility to certain diseases.

5) True or False: By improving nutritional practices 89 million dollars could be saved in annual health care costs?

False. Actually, it’s 89 billion. Yes, that’s right, billions - with a B.

6) True or False: The Council for Responsible Nutrition recommends that all health professionals should be providing sound scientific information and should be suggesting a long-term regular use of a vitamin and mineral supplement?

True. The American Dietetic Association suggests similarly in their Dietary Guidelines.

7) True or False: Studies and surveys suggest those that augment their diet with dietary supplements tend to pay more attention to their overall health and nutrition and tend to lead healthier lifestyles as a result?

True. People who follow a sound nutrition plan know that nutritional products and supplements do not take the place of whole food. Rather they know these products “fill in the gaps.”

8. Can a whole food multi-nutrient complex fill in the nutrient “gaps”, optimize function, protect health, and help prevent disease for about $1 a day?

True. When you join Prograde Nutrition’s optional “Fit Club” you can receive our Men’s or Women’s VGF 25+ multi-nutrient complex for about $1 per day. Not only does it contain all seven essential nutrient classes (Men Click here and Women Click Here to learn what they are), it also provides you with the concentrated nutrients from 25 whole food vegetables, greens and fruits.

Men Click Here and Women Click Here to discover the “super pill” the entire fitness industry is talking about!

*Note: These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (”FDA”). These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Copyright © 2006 2007, Prograde Nutrition. All Rights Reserved

Hi, this is Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter, head of research and development for Prograde Nutrition

If you’re an athlete or a very experienced fitness enthusiast you’ll find everything you need for serious results right here.

Prograde Workout, which got a glowing review in Men’s Fitness by the way, will provide all the pre and post workout nutrition you need.

VGF25+ is our whole foods multi that provides all your essential vitamins and minerals coming from 25 fruits, vegetables and greens. This isn’t a synthetic pill that your body has to try and digest. You are getting these nutrients from 25 real foods. By consuming your vitamins and minerals from 25 whole fruits, vegetables, and greens you are suppling your body with highly utilized nutrients to provide repair, recovery and promote future peformance improvements.

EFA Icon is our krill oil based essential fatty acid product which is perfect for athletes because of the anti-inflammatory effects it provides. Anytime you exercise your body produces inflammation from the damage to your muscles. EFA Icon helps to minimize that inflammation so you can recover faster.

And Prograde Cravers are the best tasting organic energy bar on the planet. Athletes and coaches love them because of their great taste, balance of nutrients, and they aren’t filled with junk to derail your performance.

Oh, and last but not least, all of Prograde’s products meet NCAA guidelines.

What does this tool measure?

Click here to find out how much smoking affects your life span.

This interactive tool can be used to estimate the impact smoking will have on your life span. Based on the number of cigarettes you smoked in the past or how many you will smoke in the future, this tool estimates how many years the damaging effects of smoking may take away from your life.

Health Tools

Health tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. Interactive tools are designed to help people determine health risks, ideal weight, target heart rate, and more.

Smoking’s impact on life span

January 15, 2008 - Medical News Today.com: Reporting in the online journal BMC Genetics, researchers from the Monell Center have for the first time attempted to count the number of genes that contribute to obesity an …CLICK HERE

Essential fatty acids are enormously important to your health. They are the building blocks for phospholipids, and phospholipids are the building blocks for your cell membranes - the protective layer and gatekeeper of your cells. A good essential fatty acid balance provides building blocks for healthy cells, but an imbalance can lead to critical health concerns.

Krill Oil is a remarkable new product featuring phospholipids specially integrated with omega-3 essential fatty acids - EPA and DHA - for building healthy cell membranes. Krill Oil also naturally includes antioxidant protection. Krill Oil is like supercharged fish oil - with very low rancidity, no dangerous heavy metals or pesticides, and a highly absorbable form of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Cardiovascular Benefits

In human studies, Krill Oil has been shown to help maintain blood lipid levels - LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, and tryglycerides - already in the normal range.

Inflammation

The results of a recent study have shown with a high level of certainty that Krill Oil, at a daily dose of 300 mg, may significantly inhibit inflammation by reducing C-reactive protein (CRP).

After taking Krill Oil 300 mg/day for a period of 7, 14, and 30 days, CRP was reduced 19.3%, 29.7% and 30.9%. In this study, 90 patients with cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis and with increased levels of C-reactive protein >1.0 mg/dl were evaluated. Patients were split into a Krill Oil group and those taking placebo. The Western Ontario and McMaster (WOMAC) University Osteoarthritis index was administered to validate the results.

Quality of Life

Woman’s World said: “Krill oil is so potent, women who took it for three months reported a 51% boost in energy, alertness, memory, concentration and stamina in a recent Canadian study. And almost 100% described having a greater sense of well-being and happiness — plus a 31% reduction in aches and pains!”

The highest quality Neptune Krill Oil I’ve found is only available
online (the EFA Icon) at…
http://brayfitness.getprograde.com/icon

To positively change the composition of your body (decrease fat, increase lean muscle) you have to know how to play the game of numbers. If you burn more calories than the calories you take in each day you will lose weight, this is called creating a caloric deficit. It is the only way to lose fat. If you do the opposite, take in more calories than what you burn, then you will gain weight.

Too much of anything gets stored as fat - even if you’re eating nothing but healthy, supportive foods. If you eat too many of them, your body will still store the extra calories as fat. Even though this appears to be a simple concept, don’t be fooled. The caloric deficit must be kept small for you want to maintain lean muscle and only lose fat weight. This strategy allows you to keep a high metabolism while at the same time transforming the shape of your body.

If calories are severely reduced, your body thinks you are starving and sets into motion a series of metabolic and hormonal events, which ultimately leads to muscle loss and a slower metabolism. Even more tragic, skipping meals and starving yourself causes your body to increase the level of fat storing enzymes so you are actually teaching your body to become efficient at storing fat!

Prograde Vitamins & Supplements…CLICK HERE

by Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS

Each year, more than 2 million Americans are given powerful prescription painkillers that contain opiods (sometimes called narcotics) for the relief of pain and discomfort brought on by injury, surgery, menstrual cramps, and even headaches. But a growing number of people taking these medications are becoming addicted to them. And it’s not hard to understand why.

Drugs such as Vicodin, Percocet, and Methadone block pain all the way from the nerve endings in the skin to the spinal cord to the brain. Once these drugs reach the brain, they open the floodgates for the chemical dopamine, which triggers feelings of well-being. Dopamine, in effect, rewires the brain to become accustomed to those pleasant feelings. So when you stop taking the pain-killer, your body will still have a strong craving for the dopamine. This is what makes it so hard to quit. Symptoms of withdrawal can include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (which is the origin of the term “cold turkey”), and involuntary leg movements. Better to avoid getting hooked in the first place.

Chemical dependency can happen to anyone, and it can easily sneak up on you. Here are 10 things you should look out for if you or someone you know is currently taking prescription painkillers:

1. An increase in usage
As time goes by, the effects of the initial dose will lessen, prompting a desire for stronger or more frequent doses of the prescribed medication. This is a clear indication that whatever amount they have been taking is no longer providing the same level of relief.

2. Personality changes
Changes in a person’s normal behavior can be a sign of dependency. Shifts in energy, mood, and concentration may occur as every day responsibilities become secondary to the need for the relief the prescription provides.

3. Withdrawing socially
This is one of the clearest signs of a dependency problem. Spending more time alone and away from friends and family and social gatherings is a cause for concern.

4. Continuing meds too long
Extending the prescription beyond the initial period, especially after the condition has improved, can be the beginning of an endless cycle. The patient may even believe he or she is still in pain and simply needs to stay on the meds for a few more weeks or months. He or she might even express anger toward a doctor who questions the need to renew the prescription.

5. Too much time spent getting meds
There are no lengths to which a chemically dependent person will not go to obtain the drugs they think they need. This can become an all-consuming obsession, including traveling long distances and visiting many doctors. When getting the drugs seems to be the number one priority, the situation is getting out of hand.

6. Habits and appearance changes
A deterioration in physical appearance and grooming—including not bathing or shaving regularly—is a common result of drug addiction. There may be a general look of unhealthiness, such as persistent coughing and red eyes. Sleeping and eating patterns often become irregular.

7. Failure to meet responsibilities
Sudden changes in work or school attendance and a decline in quality of work or grades are common, as well as forgetting to pay bills and missing appointments.

8. Becoming oversensitive
One consequence of using potent drugs is that the body’s response to any sort of stimulation is heightened. For example, a person may have an overly emotional reaction to traffic noise or bright lights—possibly including hallucinations.

9. Forgetfulness and blacking out
A person who is suffering from chemical dependency will forget things that have happened and may even experience memory gaps of several hours.

10. Denial and becoming defensive
Presented with even a hint that they may be addicted, those hooked on drugs will vehemently deny it. The harder you push, the more defensive they are like to get. They might even react to simple questions with an angry outburst.

Additional signs of chemical dependency include an inability to relax or have fun, talking incoherently or making inappropriate remarks, and expressing feelings of exhaustion, depression, and hopelessness.

Remember that painkillers are a blessing that can turn into a curse. And that it is a lot easier to avoid becoming addicted than it is to recover from drug addiction. As long as you follow your doctor’s instructions (and you have others around you to make sure you do), these prescription medications will what they were designed to do—and nothing more.

If you enjoyed this article, and would like more information in alternative back pain treatments sign up for our Back Pain Advisory and you will join the nearly 1 million people that have received this life changing information. Please visit our new web site at http://www.losethebackpain.com for more free informative articles, videos and open forums.

Article Source: http://physicalfitnessarticles.net

If you enjoyed this article, and would like more information in alternative back pain treatments sign up for our Back Pain Advisory and you will join the nearly 1 million people that have received this life changing information. Please visit our new web site at www.losethebackpain.com for more free informative articles, videos and open forums.

PHIL B’s ONLINE FITNESS & PERSONAL TRAINING

Fitness Tip: Scare Yourself in Shape - Did you know that NOT exercising AT ALL is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes A DAY? (Fear is a good motivator for some.)

PHIL B’s ONLINE FITNESS & PERSONAL TRAINING